Soot all over tractor.

[oldtin 921 17]

Just got done cutting about 3 acres of grass and when I got off the tractor I noticed black soot all over the engine cover and under the hood. Its a 93 314-8, I have 6 tractors and never saw this before! Still was running great so I'm stumped.

Edited August 1, 2015 by oldtin 921

[wallfish 15,912]

Check your belts.

[oldtin 921 17]

The black soot isn't rubber,more like if you stuck your finger in a tailpipe!!

[wallfish 15,912]

YUP, check your belts. Something rubbing on one can cause a very fine dust. 
If it was exhaust smoke, you probably would've noticed it plus it would be more on the exhaust side of the engine and not so much on the engine cover.

[Wishin4a416 2,185]

I see your from pa too. Its some kind if mold/mildew from all the rain we had. I use 4 machines to mow with and same story on all of them. Black dust like residue. My BIL talked to the local Kubota dealer and he has hundreds of questions on this. My BIL mowed the front yard yesterday with a push mower and his shoes were black when he was done.  I was concerned at first too but not anymore since its happening on all our machines.

[WNYPCRepair 1,875]

mushroom spores?

[Tankman 3,515]

I would suspect belts but mold?
I never heard that before. 

[Lagersolut 613]

I'm in south central PA - no black substance to report here yet....unless you want to count my miserable tomato year with black leaf spot from all the rain......sprayed fungicide and copper based anti bacterial products and I don't think it even slowed it down.

1st day August and my tomatoes are almost shot .

[clem 28]

Two years ago after a landscape project, I had some heavy black dirt brought in to back-fill around plastic edging material. Since then when it's really dry, like currently, I have the same thing after mowing. Every inch of the tractor is covered in a fine silty black dust that looks similar to rubber from a wearing belt.

[AMC RULES 36,945]

         

[Wishin4a416 2,185]

I should have taken pics. The JD the wife mows with was totally black. The Diesel Kubota the same. I thought I was having a fuel issue but the exhaust was normal. I dunno, maybe yours is a belt issue, but I just wanted to throw this in. Its not in my case.

[GlenPettit 1,714]

Nearly a mile 'upwind' from us, a family that makes wooden & plastic craft items over the Winter which they sell in the Summer, (painted, sealed, sanded, etc.), they burn their scraps, (boxes, plastic, cans, waste and whatever) in the early Spring . . . anyway about in early April ours & our neighbors cement gets lightly stained black, and the white plastic railings too.  Took us several years to realize, (soot), it's so light you don't see it in the air, but it settles and must be power-washed off.   The family is a 'mean' bunch, and since it is burned in a metal burn drum, officials can't/won't do anything either, the family is within the law.   They seem to only burn at night, so we can't see the black smoke.
Sometimes it's hard to locate the real cause of a problem, but In your case, suspect the belts first.

Edited August 2, 2015 by GlenPettit

[oldtin 921 17]

Wishin 4  that is the way my tractor was,even the deck had black all over it! If it's a mold wonder what it does to our lungs??

Edited August 2, 2015 by oldtin 921

[WNYPCRepair 1,875]

Nearly a mile 'upwind' from us, a family that makes wooden & plastic craft items over the Winter which they sell in the Summer, (painted, sealed, sanded, etc.), they burn their scraps, (boxes, plastic, cans, waste and whatever) in the early Spring . . . anyway about in early April ours & our neighbors cement gets lightly stained black, and the white plastic railings too.  Took us several years to realize, (soot), it's so light you don't see it in the air, but it settles and must be power-washed off.   The family is a 'mean' bunch, and since it is burned in a metal burn drum, officials can't/won't do anything either, the family is within the law.   They seem to only burn at night, so we can't see the black smoke.
Sometimes it's hard to locate the real cause of a problem, but In your case, suspect the belts first.

I bet they aren't allowed to burn plastic though
 

[Chevydave 25]

Just got done cutting about 3 acres of grass and when I got off the tractor I noticed black soot all over the engine cover and under the hood. Its a 93 314-8, I have 6 tractors and never saw this before! Still was running great so I'm stumped.

I have the same problem here in NE Ohio. I removed the side cover and replaced the clutch idler, took the deck off for complete cleaning and blade sharpening. Inspected belts and a good once over for anything that could be rubbing. Mowed approx. 1-1/2 acre and there it was just like before. It blows right off with compressed air. 

[Wishin4a416 2,185]

Wishin 4  that is the way my tractor was,even the deck had black all over it! If it's a mold wonder what it does to our lungs??

I was wondering the same thing. Been going on for 2 weeks now with 5 of us mowing and no issues yet knock on wood.